1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a combined container and garment protection device wearable by a user to permit the user to access items disposed within a pocket of the device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Eating and drinking during travel in an automobile or other moving vehicle has become routine in daily life, particularly with the implementation of drive-through windows at many fast food restaurants and convenience stores that provide ready made food for immediate consumption. For people with jobs involving a large proportion of commuting from one location to another, the combination of eating meals while commuting is very common. The problem with eating a meal while commuting is the increased potential for food and/or beverages spilling on the clothes of the person. For people dressed in business attire, it is of considerable importance to minimize or prevent the risk of food or beverages soiling one's clothing. In addition, it is often difficult to find places in which to place items to be consumed or used when eating a meal while commuting in a moving vehicle.
A number of garment protection devices have been designed with the purpose of assisting a person who is eating in a moving vehicle. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,946,094, 5,062,558 6,334,220, 6,530,089 and 6,536,048 disclose tray or container systems for holding items, such as food and/or beverages, for allowing one to eat a meal while commuting in a moving vehicle. Each of the devices includes a support member to support the device about the neck of the user during use.
While each of the devices described in these patents is useful in assisting one in eating a meal while commuting in a vehicle, these devices are not readily adaptable for use in fast food restaurants and/or convenience stores that sell ready-to-eat food items for consumers. In particular, these devices include a number of parts or components, resulting in a considerable expense per unit to manufacture. In a fast food or convenience store environment, it would be desirable to provide a garment protection device that also serves as a container for storing food and/or other items, where the device can be mass produced at a minimal expense.